England, Scotland FAs to ban transgender women from soccer after U.K. Supreme Court ruling

England’s Football Association will institute a ban on transgender women from competing in the sport at all levels, which will begin on June 1. The decision comes after the U.K. Supreme Court ruled last month that the legal definition of “woman” would not include transgender women. The controversial ruling will impact transgender women’s access to things like restrooms, hospital wards, and sports clubs, among other things.

“As the governing body of the national sport, our role is to make football accessible to as many people as possible, operating within the law and international football policy defined by UEFA and FIFA,” the FA wrote in a statement on Thursday. “Our current policy, which allows transgender women to participate in the women’s game, was based on this principle and supported by expert legal advice. This is a complex subject, and our position has always been that if there was a material change in law, science, or the operation of the policy in grassroots football, then we would review it and change it if necessary.

“The Supreme Court’s ruling on the 16 April means that we will be changing our policy. Transgender women will no longer be able to play in women’s football in England, and this policy will be implemented from 1 June 2025. We understand that this will be difficult for people who simply want to play the game they love in the gender by which they identify, and we are contacting the registered transgender women currently playing to explain the changes and how they can continue to stay involved in the game.”

The FA’s rule change comes days after their counterparts in Scotland made a similar decision. The ban will reportedly impact around 20 transgender women playing soccer in England, per CNN, all at the amateur levels of the game.

Both the Supreme Court ruling and the FA’s decision have received criticism from human rights groups, including the Fare Network, a group whose focus is targeting discrimination in European soccer and has received backing from the likes of FIFA and UEFA to support their mission.

“By adopting formal bans on trans participation, the FA and SFA now stand isolated from progressive federations worldwide that are pioneering inclusive policies grounded in science, dialogue, and human rights,” the Fare Network wrote in part in a statement on Thursday. “As influential bodies in European football, their actions risk legitimizing discrimination, emboldening associations elsewhere to bring in restrictive measures and undermining global efforts to ensure football remains a sport for everyone, everywhere.”